Loribelle Spirovski wins People’s Choice award for William Barton portrait

In the last four years, the artist Loribelle Spirovski, who was born in Manila, approached to give up the picture while breastfeeding a weakening injury that sent pins and needles to their hands and kept the brush difficult and painful.

On Thursday, Spirovski won the 2025 Archibald Award Award for a cheerful portrait of Virtuoso William Barton, which was completely painted with gloved fingers and hands.

Director Maud Page said the portrait was under incredible pressure and painted with flexibility that captures Barton’s energy and soul.

When Spirovski first met Barton, he said he was too shy to ask him to sit down and worried that he could not make his talent justice. “I can never thank you enough.”

In the celebration, Barton said a lullaby accompanied by Yidaki.

Spirovski was inspired to remove the paint brush when he was working in his studio on Barton’s portrait and played the musician’s famous composition. Birdsong in twilight, As background music.

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Spirovski first asked Barton to sit after a concert containing both Barton and Spirovski’s husband’s concert pianist Simon Tedeschi in Melbourne last October.

“When the music started, my hand put aside the brush and dipped my finger into a soft, flexible paint. I turned my voice up, the music guided me,” he said. “Without a brush, the picture was almost painless. The portrait felt alive in a way that I haven’t been in a long time, as I painted itself.”